Quang Nam Province is stepping up efforts to address the housing needs of low-income workers amid rising challenges tied to bureaucratic processes. With plans to construct 19,600 social housing units aimed at supporting workers, the local government reveals obstacles obstructing progress.
The ambitious initiative is rooted in the provincial government's pledge to develop at least one million social housing units between 2021 and 2030. These units are particularly targeted at employees working within the industrial zones. Relevant local authorities have begun allocating land to facilitate these housing projects, making strides toward meeting the significant demand for affordable accommodations.
Despite these steps forward, the construction plans face significant hurdles. Regulations governing land allocation and the size of rental apartments pose challenges, as highlighted by the Department of Construction of Quang Nam Province. For example, they report dissatisfaction over requirements manding 20% of land from commercial housing projects must be allocated for social housing, which they argue does not align with current realities.
Even more concerning is the slow rollout of new housing projects, which stands at merely four underway; most don’t meet the scheduled requirements. A case worth noting is the housing project for workers at Tam Thang Industrial Zone led by Panko Company, which remains underutilized.
The provincial government has recognized the need for systematic improvements, leading to the introduction of supporting measures to advance these housing initiatives. A resolution was passed late last year establishing mechanisms to support social housing projects with approximately 416 billion VND earmarked from the provincial budget. This funding will cover various aspects, such as compensation for resettlement and the development of clean land, which is necessary for investors to pursue these projects.
Nguyen Thanh Tam, Director of the Department of Construction, stressed the importance of reviewing and refining the administrative procedures related to social housing to improve transparency. This includes expediting the processes surrounding land allocation, site clearance, and contractor selection for these housing projects.
Further measures advocated by Tam include enhancing the pace of urban planning and management to secure adequate land for future housing developments. The government's objective is also to eliminate temporary and dilapidated housing by the target year of 2030 with the establishment of the Social Housing Development Steering Committee.
Simultaneously, Quang Nam’s commitment to improving administrative efficiency was highlighted during the recent assessment meeting for handling administrative procedures (AP) which took place on January 6, 2025. The meeting evaluated the past year’s successes and established priorities for 2025.
The Quang Nam Public Administrative Service Center along with local administrative units have been praised for their significant progress and readiness to simplify procedures, ensuring timely resolutions for local citizens and enterprises. By December 23, 2024, nearly 2,000 procedures were registered across various governmental ranks, with many documents being submitted and processed online more than before. Notably, online handling reached over 88,000 cases.
From December 2023 to December 2024 alone, provincial authorities received upwards of 97,171 cases at the provincial level, with successful resolutions running at approximately 95,864. Encounters at the district level recorded similar throughput, with nearly 140,907 applications processed.
An additional communication effort, via the 1022 hotline, received over 11,867 queries, offering responses about administrative processes and services. Local excitement is building with over 10,296 followers on the Quang Nam 1022 communication channels.
For the upcoming year, the Public Administrative Service Center is set to introduce various policies such as weighty fee waivers for online transactions and prioritizing procedures most relevant to the public's daily needs. The aim is to streamline processes to make them straightforward, efficient, and user-centered.
This forward-thinking outlook aims to create full transparency and efficiency across Quang Nam's housing administration and social service sectors, aligning them with the wider expectations of its populace. The establishment of systems to evaluate public satisfaction with government services is planned for the coming year, contributing to the overarching goal of enhancing service quality.
Looking to how best to tackle the pressing demand for social housing, Quang Nam’s local government is poised to take decisive actions, cultivating environments where both housing and effective administrative services can thrive.